Bright Lights of the Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 32
32 BR I GH T LIG HTS OF THE AHMADIYYA MO VE MENT preparing yourselves to follow Allah's plan of leadership for our life here on earth. Allah knew that man would always need guidance to keep him on the right path so He designed a plan of leadership for all of mankind called Khilafat. I will explain this plan to you. In the beginning Allah created man to worship Him. Allah knew that man would need a spiritual leader here on earth to guide him. A man who would have the most excellent character-the perfect leader, teacher, and guide. So, when man was ready, Allah began to send prophets. The first prophet was Adam, and the final prophet to bring a law was the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him. Allah sent many prophets to guide man on the right path, but since a prophet is a mortal being, someone was needed to continue his work after his death. So Allah decreed that the prophet's work would be perfected by setting up after his death righteous and capable men one after the other as his successors. In Islam these successors are called Khalifas, for the word Khalifa means one com- ing after, or one succeeding another. You see, Allah designed Khilafat so that the world may never be without the blessings of Prophethood. From ancient times every prophet has been having this succcession of Khalifas after him. For example, Moses had Joshua as his Khalifa. Jesus had Peter, and the Holy Prophet was succeeded by Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman, and Hazrat Ali. The four Khalifas who came after the Holy Prophet are known as the rightly guided Khalifas or the rightly guided Khalifas because they did what Allah in- tended them to-they carefully followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet and continued the work he had been sent to do. The period of their Khilafat lasted for 30 years. Islam was wonderfully succcessful during these 30 years and it spread far and wide. Many nations accepted the message of Islam. But after